BIG CHANGES coming to the 60 meter
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- Опубліковано 2 лип 2024
- BIG CHANGES coming to the 60 meter #hamradio band?
The FCC has dropped a new notice of proposed rulemaking which can potentially bring big changes to the 60 meter band?
FCC NPRM: docs.fcc.gov/public/attachmen...
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License: CC BY-SA 3.0 - Наука та технологія
I really hate spring allergy season...
I know your pain lol great video!
Have you tried locally made honey? Because it contains local pollen, some find that eating that pollen helps them cope with airborne pollen. And there is no downside to honey like there is with many anti-allergy drugs.
@@Inkling777 I usually get it every year but this year not yet. I’ll get some.
Ria how much and how many hams trully use 60 meter for what it is given you yall? I belive as well lower power aint going hurt no one keeps from people miss using the band but with that being said . I am like you i would hate to see what is given to the hams but to be taken away.
@@AndrewMurphy8383 Low power no problem. 350 mW from a Pixie got me a SWL report from Uttrecht at 220 miles and 2 Watts into GM at 280 miles. Both c.w. on 5.262 MHz.
G4GHB.
Ria; I always enjoy your “short and to the point” videos. Thanks for the information
Hello Ria,
I'm pleased the UA-cam algorithm recommended your channel to me. Sorry to hear the FCC is trying to take us off these frequencies. I was always under the impression that one of the reasons we were given those frequencies was to allow Hams to "interface" directly with the US Government on this set of channels for emergency purposes during times of crisis. This does not make any sense at all to remove us from an emergency management perspective. There aren't a great deal of hams down there and we are channelized. As secondary users to boot. Fifteen watts is pretty puny amount of power down there. Sounds like we need to start writing to our representatives to explain what exactly is going on and have them (our representatives) make NTIA cease and decist.
Furthermore I would like to add that there is a community of hams that like to restore and operate military surplus HF transceivers on these channels . The fact that its done on USB/SSB is desirable as many of the vintage military SSB radios operate on USB only. The default sideband for Government users is also upper sideband. As a general principal I believe as hams we should always challenge the FCC whenever they attempt to take away our allocations. Its no secret that the commercial users are always hungry for spectrum space and the FCC seems to be a willing accomplice to turn a quick buck; although that is not the case in this instance. Does anyone know who is the individual at NTIA that is pushing this???
Oh great, one of the absolutely best bands we have. During the horrible times at solar minimum just a short couple years back that never seemed to end, I got very active on the 60m band. I managed to work and confirm all states in a couple weeks, and I now have 80 countries confirmed... All operating on only one of those channels 5.357 on FT8... Have a blast when we get a nice opening and good DX is on the band... as far as continents go I seem to only be missing Asia... Probably due to the time I'm operating, or they might be restricted over there... I don't mind getting new spectrum, but develop a mental issue with loss of perfectly good spectrum and would hate to see us losing additional power if they cut the existing channels back to 15w... I know most of the YLRL gals haven't even tried 60m...and so many of the active hams also don't even bother with 60 only because they haven't a clue as to how good it is... I lived through the time 160m had extreme day and night power limitations that were different state to state, before finally getting 1500W... What a glorious day... and even a better day when they flipped off the big switch on LORAN A stations that littered the band. Same deal different frequencies... It would be nice if we had the wide channels many of the countries have down there... But I'm just pleased as punch with my little 2.8khz of the one channel, but would cry over the loss of the other channels too. Erika K0DD
Thanks! You are my go-to person for regulatory rules.
Wow! Thank you! Great information. This is the kind of reporting that “news services” lack - fact-based, without agenda except to inform, and the ideas of the “reporter” expressed as such. Please keep it up.
Nice! Just luckily found you channel.
We have both the channels and the continuous spectrum up here north of the border at full 100w ERP. I unfortunately haven't made time to get on 60m SSB in a while. 73 VE3GKT
I think it’s a grab from the cell phone companies for more spectrum for their cellular first responder broad spectrum networks. Like AT&T’s “FirstNet” monopoly administered by a federal agency. T-Mobile and Verizon are trying to create their own first responder to compete against the government run monopoly. The proposed 9.15 Watt limit seems likely for the cell phone companies as more compatible with adjacent frequencies in the 60 meter band.
Worked lots of NA on 60M both on data and SSB, We have the channels here in Ireland 🇮🇪
Keep us up to date Ria. Thanks so much for all you do. 73 Joe
The existing allotment provides for interoperability between ARS and SHARES, MARS, and other government stations. Stations can make contacts by voice and then pass digital traffic, including PACTOR III.IV without changing frequencies. There is a problem with FT8 stations using a channel as secondary users interfering with "government" stations because the FT8 stations do not copy voice traffic.
WSJT-X, the software that most people use for FT-8 does not come with 60 meters in its working frequency list. People are manually adding it to the frequency list to get it to work on 60 meters.
We really need the 100W EIRP to be useful for emergency communications. 60M is useful when MUF is too low for 40M and 80M D Layer absorption is too high during the daylight hours.
Quite right. The noise level in the lower HF spectrum is so high, the added power is a necessity, particularly in the day time. Are there are any plans afoot to move the state-level emergency services to digital modes? That would seem to be ideal for the messaging they need to do. Almost no one wants to listen to a static-ridden SSB channel for radio traffic.
Aloha Ria, my biggest fear is just like what happen to our 220 mhz band years ago when a big chunk was taken away from us, then sold to UPS and never used.
Now that radio manufacturers are now building transceivers with the full 220 mhz band, we would like to have the entire 220 mhz band back now please.
No, I believe that if we do not fight for the 60m band @100watts, then our government will begin to become too comfortable in taking whatever bands they want to take from us and maybe not in my lifetime, there will be very little band spectrum left for this hobby and we might as well give it all to them now.
All of our fellow hams needs to wake up to what is going on and start fighting to keep this hobby alive. Our 2 meter band has been under attack for years now and I must submit reports to the ARRL each month as to how many check ins I have for each net and how many minutes long each net was. This is no joke, all of us EARC Net Controllers were asked to submit our monthly reports to the ARRL via the 40meter.net website for all 2 meter nets for the last 3-4 years now.
I think it was the country of France that proposed that license Amateur radio operators give up the entire 2 meter band and use it for military communications use only.
Ria, I believe that you should follow up this video with another one to explain the consequences of radio amateurs that say nothing and do nothing. We should be making some noise about the 60 meter band and start encouraging our license hams to start using the 60 meter band.
I believe that we should set our goals high and use the current solar cycle in our favor to save this 60 meter band for the Amateur radio community forever.
Todd Wilson WH6DWF 🇺🇸
Interesting. In the Netherlands we had a continue allocation 5350-5450 KHz with 100W allowed all mode in 2015. A year later we had to move to the WRC-15 allocation with 15W. Overall most of the DX/QSOs are playing on 5357 KHz FT8. 15W is enough for NVIS and DX contacts on that mode. The real challenge is to receive stations since many are suffering from PLC and Solarpanel noise on that band. Most interesting contact on 60m was with a /AM which flew above France in 2015. Something that would not be possible now since /AM stations are not allowed by the WRC-15 rules on 60m.
Been a regular on 60m for some time. In the UK, we initally had to apply for an NoV to operate on 60m. From 2015, we got 11 "bandlets" and are allowed 100W ERP (with some restrictions). I have seen amateur activity steadily increase over the years. One annoying aspect is that different countries have different allocations/restrictions. I do hope USA hams get a good 60m deal going forward. It would be good to log some more USA-UK contacts.
Oooh HF MURS or GMRS or Technician Voice NFM only!!!
(all of the above) But Ham and Gmrs help monitor it.
I always thought that the 5 M/C's emergency channels were really more an Alaskan thing. Great video Ria, shared with my ham club in the UK.
There is a separate Alaska emergency frequency
Here in VK (Australia) we’ve been denied access to the 60m section, the reasons given were that that area of the spectrum 1. Is used throughout the neighbouring pacific island countries for critical communications, 2. There are over 300 commercial mobile communications licenses active in that segment, and 3. Defence are users in that area and have more than enough interference (from most likely Asian users) already, without potential interference from 20000 Amateurs… and 4. There are no amateur transceivers that are currently approved to transmit on 60m frequencies… So, Australian Amateurs may never gain access
we need both but the emergency channels should be kept for emergencies with two of those channels set for digital emergency modes, like slow fax.. so we can send messages between shelters for instance, if lines are down, which is our purpose. I mean, in an emergency we need to know that we have 'secure' channels that we can actually built purpose built transcievers for.. on the channels, and to make sure we understand the antennas needed etc, use the low power section for normal propagation experiments and rag chewing, but again, in emergencies use it as well, if needed.. especially within the hurricane belts and tornado belts. Imagine a Pixi style kit designed for each channel, to a dedicated small laptop running the software, and using a dedicated antenna.. for say a hospital or police back up..
We should have the channels always available and not just for emergencies. We need to practice for emergencies anyway but also get away from this idea that ham radio is primarily about emergency communications (it isn’t).
The 60m channels in the US as they stand now are the link between the military and hams. It's good thing in that hams can use their callsigns and MARS can use their callsigns in the same allocation. This allows for communication from civillian to military about information in times of emergency. It's definitely needed and should not be gotten rid of. The power use should also stay the same to allow NVIS communications within the regions. As far as the new band it can be added.
I like 60m. Only a maximum of 2 Watts c.w., xtal on 5.262 MHz, QRP here by choice.
I've not heard of any proposed changes in the U.K.
G4GHB.
I think 60m would get a lot more use if we had a continuous chunk of primary use spectrum.
However 15 watts EIRP makes it pretty useless for a lot of things
@@n2rj Yeah, maybe. But for us QRP enthusiasts, it's a dream come true!
Thanks for this information. Hmmm thinking....thinking. I guess I can understand why NTIA would want Hams off 60m, what I don't understand is why only 9W on the allocated 60m portion? The military is also getting more into HF comms again, so that will put pressure on spectrum.
Forgot to mention...about 10yrs ago, 5368 was dropped, in favour of 5358.5
It would be nice to have both with specific scope and purpose for each (channels and continuous), but that might seem greedy.
That’s what the ARRL’s position is and I support that.
Well news for them, the amateurs have had this long before any comercial use was formed, your grandfathered into it. But that big a slap to cut power that far is tragic.
Wtf are they thinking ham radios were used durring wwII to transmit around the world. Now they are asking you to basically roll back to what the old 23 channel cb radios had.
well..we will still have our coverage in Canada..
Hopefully the FCC will follow Canada's lead....get the 60 "band" and keep the channelized frequencies all at 100w
probably need to use the 60 meter band more. It seems to me that is the reason the hams lose channels .
Keep both and at 100 watts all modes
I want more and to keep what we already have too. I believe would be perfect, especially for NVIS and would probably be better than 40 meters or 80 meters band .
I've never seen a video of anyone using 60m. I don't really know anything about it.
Very interesting to see what happens with it.👍
It’s busy with FT8 plus DXpeditions have used it. I’ve made a few contacts on it for the lulz
@@n2rj ah ok, nice Ria. Good to know it's still being used and what modes too. :)
@@n2rj Loup Garou
WSJT-X, the software that most people use for FT-8 does not come with 60 meters in its working frequency list. I think that's for a reason. People are manually adding it to the frequency list to get it to work on 60 meters.
Does the government agencies have difficulty getting amateurs to relinquish the channels when asked/told? Does the government have arguments other than "we want it all"?
Based on what happens on 11 meters, no :)
NTIA objects to the behavior of digital mode operators on 60 meters due to their ongoing violations of the "one station on the center frequency of each channel" rule. On 9/2/11 NTIA wrote to the FCC "...multiple emissions within the necessary bandwidth of the widest authorized modes (2.8 kHz) increases the possibility of harmful interference from secondary amateur stations to primary federal stations, and would make it more difficult for a federal station to identify an interfering amateur station. In addition, NTIA is concerned about the aggregate equivalent isotropically radiated power from multiple amateur stations transmitting within a single 2.8 kHz channel."
@@kp4md even if they ban US operations, international operations are still out in full force and it will never stop. I see FT8 haters latching on to this, because, well, they hate FT8.
I can’t remember the last time I was on 60 meters? It’s been many years for sure.I Rarely use any band that I need a wire antenna for and my G5RV is the only choice I would have there.
I work DXpeditions there and others.
What's wrong with wires?
2 Watts QRP c.w. with an inverted vee about 26 feet up and bent into my tiny garden. So far 280 miles into GM with 2 Watts, a SWL report from Uttrecht at 220 miles using a Pixie at 350 mW.
G4GHB.
@@bill-2018 I’m not a fan of wires for Any Band.I Rarely ever use any band that all I have is a wire for that band.75/80,60,& 160 meters are Rarely used.I’m a believer in the Beam Antenna and I use them.A wire is a last resort for me when operating at home and portable.I worked Germany on 20 meters with my ICOM 703+ and 10 watts with my Harvest Outback 2000 and I was 5/9+10 on the other end.🎤🎙
@@1OFGODSOWN That's fair enough. Of course a beam is always better but for 60m I have a 26' high inverted vee, I'm happy enough, 350 mW Pixie got me a SWL report from Uttrecht about 220 miles when I QSO'd 180 miles and 2 Watts about 280 miles so how much further is it going? It's bent into the garden in a rectangular C shape with the ends about five feet high.
I like 60m as it's relatively QRM free for me as I get S8 noise 160 to 20m. The old QTH had a long garden with an open outlook and I used a long wire with good results. This one is tiny so five wire dipoles squeezed into my attic for 20m to 10m, no brickwork blocking Europe which would be the case in my garden, one Watt c.w. recently on 10m got me Sicily and Bulgaria about 1400 miles so they work okay, 5.5-9.9. QSB report for me.
I got an FT817ND for portable to get away from this QRM.
73, G4GHB.
There is nothing wrong with using wire antennas. I still make as many if not more DX contacts using my very first homebrew Fan Dipole than I do my Hexbeam. I built that even before I was assigned my first call sign.
I mainly use Voice/SSB, and Only USB on the allocated Channels on 60M. I have heard there have been complaints of non-compliance on 60m and most mentioned it's most often but not always certain digital mode operators according to the sources that I have heard talking about the issue. Hopefully we don't lose it.
Truth is, I don't hear much on the 60 meter bands except for 60 meter short wave radio broadcasts, not too much ham radio communications that much. Maybe if I had a better outdoor antenna then that experience would change.
I need to get North Dakota on 60M before they make this change, then I will have worked all states on 60M.
I need North Dakota on every band I work on. I'm beginning to think that there's only one radio for the whole state and someone lost the key to get in!
Where can we listen your WRMI talk on 60M?
I couldn't tune in at 2100utc.
It will be uploaded Sunday. Look for “Ria’s ham shack” in your favorite podcast app or go to rjairam.podbean.com. It will also be posted on the UA-cam channel (audio only)
15W eirp is going to end up with a lot of people running quite a lot more power and making jokes about having very lossy coax. It's the same reasoning we already see about EMF exposure/ICNIRP calculations. I doubt there is an agency on earth which has got the time to enforce a power limit rigidly unless there is an identifiable source of QRM to a primary user.
Just make 60m continuous from 5330 to 5410 KHz, 100 watts max, and be done with it. Or, remove it from Amateur allocation.
How about this:
In DL we also have only 15 W EIRP on 60m
In kyrgyzstan
Previously when it started a few years ago 100 watts
My license renewal last month now states 1 kw
😂🎉
QRP 2 Watts c.w. here by choice. 280 miles best so far.
G4GHB.
Have you investigated 40Mhz? NA have experimental licences for 8M band..
Old news.
Ria! What about 8m ? When we going to get it?
ARRL isn't supporting it so probably never
15 watts only, Horse Radish, not worth using if only 15 watts! scratch that Band.
I use 60 meters FT8 channel 5.357 MHz all of the time, so do many others. Not sure what’s up and why they government wants to change? The ARRL acts like 60 meters don’t exist since none of my contacts there can be used for awards as in the LoTW confirmation logging.
Essentially the ITU gave us a permanent allocation so the government (NTIA) wants to take the opportunity to boot us off the old allocation
NTIA objects to the behavior of digital mode operators on 60 meters due to their ongoing violations of the "one station on the center frequency of each channel" rule. On 9/2/11 NTIA wrote to the FCC "...multiple emissions within the necessary bandwidth of the widest authorized modes (2.8 kHz) increases the possibility of harmful interference from secondary amateur stations to primary federal stations, and would make it more difficult for a federal station to identify an interfering amateur station. In addition, NTIA is concerned about the aggregate equivalent isotropically radiated power from multiple amateur stations transmitting within a single 2.8 kHz channel."
@@kp4md Thanks for the explanation. Unfortunately that is how FT8 works on any frequency. After looking at the ARRL band plan is does say only upper sideband suppressed carrier voice transmissions may be used. I guess the app I have from a certain developer may need to be informed as the developer added the 60 meter portion on the given FT8 app. Not sure why 60 meters is allowed for any service/mode if someone is so concerned us HAMs might interfere with other services on these frequencies.
I will append my comments here.
I did find a new updated ARRL usage for the current 60 meter channels to include digital modes and it gave examples of CW, RTTY, PSK1 and other digital modes like PACTOR III. Though it does state that only one signal is permitted at a time, the allowing of digital modes without calling out specifically FT8 is at best confusing. This is why people are using FT8 on 60 meters. (Again FT8 mode is basically everybody transmits on a single carrier frequency, using a carrier offset tone for transmitting unique to them. This is how FT8 works.) I would say we hams are not doing anything wrong by using FT8 on 60 meters. If the FCC doesn't want this allowed any more then the FCC/ARRL needs to update the definition of the 60 meter use. Did the FCC or ARRL give a place for comments on this subject? If some please let us know. Thanks again.
@@JohnWallace74 NTIA, not FCC, sets the rules that permit our use of 60m. According to the 9/2/11 NTIA letter to FCC, each amateur FT8 transmission on 5.357 MHz would be permissible ONLY with a carrier offset tone of 1500 Hz to place the emitted signal exactly on the channel center. In that manner, a Federal station could immediately identify the amateur station and ask it to vacate the frequency. Thus, only one station at a time can transmit on the channel. As the NTIA rule stands, 60m is not a good fit for our usual FT8 operating practice.
Do people actually use the 60m band? And what for?
yes it is used for FT8 and emcomm
I'm in Canada, we have 100watts on the 4 channels, plus the vfo coverage 5351.5-5366.5 also at 100w. I've worked plenty of dx on cw, plus good local--(300mile) coverage..
I use 350 mW from a Pixie and a modified Wireless 19 Set at 2 Watts, both c.w. on 5.262 MHz and a low inverted vee. A SWL report from Uttrecht about 220 miles with the Pixie and 280 miles with the 19 Set.
G4GHB.
I use USB voice on 60m when I do go there.
Hate to loose what we have but it would be great to move away from channels and being secondary allocation users.
The FCC's NPRM document (see the link in Ria's video description) specifies secondary usage for hams on that band as well.
I think under WRC15 you will be secondary users with no protection from interference. At least that's how it is here in Europe.
Seems plausible. Nice to see you here by the way :)
talk to the FCC on the telephone making no changes to the 60-meter HAM band
Really think getting rid of antenna restrictions in HOAs is more important, than 60 meters.
They are two separate things. Also the 60m change is pretty much a done deal except the channels. And it’s easier to get this done.
@@n2rj when an organization is having funding issues and trying to raise membership fees, thing that are on the table for advocacy can’t be looked at as separate issues. They have to be looked at as a whole. The most bang for the buck, the fact is getting a law that prohibits antenna restrictions will do far more for the hobby.
@@ImHungryMK it’s a lot cheaper to lobby the FCC for changes to 60 meters. ARRL has spent hundreds of thousands (probably millions) on this HOA efforts for decades now. I’m all for a quick win while we work on the long term stuff
@@ImHungryMK as far as the membership fees go, they could save $100,000 by rescinding the CEO’s $100,000 salary increase.
Who ...other than me is going to cut there power down?😁😁😁😁
So MARS/CAP mods on all the HF rigs out there now... 🤷♂
Well I did say legally. Of course you can do anything if you ignore laws.
@@n2rj There are no laws stating hams cannot modify or possess equipment to transmit out of band, and new 60m frequency authorizations would be in-band. If my rig meets harmonic specs and power reduced on the new frequencies, it would be fine.
I think it is a good idea in general to de-restrict your transmitters in case of emergency. If someone got bitten by a rattlesnake and there was no cell service, I would be within my amateur privileges to transmit on local police or fire frequencies to get help.
"§ 97.403 Safety of life and protection of property.
No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station of any means of radiocommunication at its disposal to provide essential communication needs in connection with the immediate safety of human life and immediate protection of property when normal communication systems are not available."
Sorry I thought this was the cb radio video.
Yes you can legally possess.
I avoid that band after reading the ARRL list of cautions page about it. I will never use it.
We should shoot for getting 11M back. Keep the current rules, but add Hams can use up to 1500W, maybe 100W limit for Techs. I say we keep, and get, and 100W.
Why would we want 11 meters? We already have a huge allocation in the 10 meter band.
I agree. Just leave it to the pirates and let them have it.
Why would anyone use that 🚽? It’s forever Useless.👎🏻🤢💩
Amateurs have enough HF spectrum, we can leave 11m be. However, what irks me about 10m is that, like 11m, it can be used for close-in comms, in my opinion. AM and FM, even. But mention this to the typical EMCOMM aficionado, and he goes apoplectic.
Nobody hardly uses 10m as it is !